Steering and reversing tiller.



C. J. MEYER.

STEERING AND REVERSING TILLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l. l9l5.

v Patented J uly 18 msmuy 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-.

awuzuto v C. J. MEYER.

STEERING AND REVERSING TILLER. I

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I, 1915.

Patented July 18, 191:6.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2.

.Tnvntor I: HiW

CHRISTOPHER J. MEYER, 01F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO EVINRUDE MOTOR COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

STEEBIN G AND REVERSING. TILLER.

Patented July is, 1916.

Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,415.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER J MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering and Reversing Tillers, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to improvements in steering and reversing tillers, and pertains especially to that class of tillers which are employed in connection with small motor driven propelling apparatus, such as detachable row boat motors and which the boat is guided to some extent at least by swinging the tiller from side to side and thereby effecting a corresponding swinging movement at the axis of the propeller wheel. Propelling apparatus of the general type above referred to is shown in Letters Patent of the United States, numbered 1001260, dated August 22nd, 1911, issued to O. Evinrude for a marine propulsion mechanism.

The object of my invention is to provide a controlling tiller, which may be manipulated to release the propeller supporting shaft and automatically reengage it when the propeller has been rotated by its own side thrust to a reversed position, whereby a series of reversing operations may be performed in successlon and the propeller accurately positioned for either forward or backward propulsion without in any way affect ing the functions of the tiller for steering purposes.

. In the drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view ofmy improved tiller lever with a portion of the casing broken away to show the reversing slide and catch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved tilleras applied to a propeller supporting shaft and propeller, a portion of the tiller and shaft being shown partially in vertical section, exposing the driving shaft. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, drawn on line 00-00 of Flg. 1. Fig. 1 is a view of the tiller head as seen from below. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of a tiller embodying my invention in modified form. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same. i

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout. the several views.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a propeller supporting shaft, 2 1s a gear-casing carried thereby, and

3 are the propeller blades. These parts may be assumed to be of ordinary construction.

The gear casing is provided with a downwardly extending rudder member 5. VA clamping sleeve 7 is secured to the upper end portion of the supporting shaft l. The

lower end portion of this sleeve 'is preferably sht and provided with clamping ears 8, whereby the same may be securely bound upon the supporting shaft 1. The supporting shaft is tubular and a driving shaft 9 extends downwardly therethrough. The clamping sleeve 7 is provided with a cam projection 12 at its upper end. A tiller lever 13 is provided with a tiller head 14:, having a depending sleeve 15 through which the clamping sleeve 7 extends. The tiller head is provided with an interior cavity 16 to receive the cam projection 12, and a slide 17 v in this cavity is adapted to serve as a latchto control rotative movements of the cam. This slide latch 17 is provided with an aperture 19 to receive the upper end of sleeve 15 and cam projection-12. The walls of aperture 19 are provided with shoulders 21 and 22 located diametrically opposite each other across the axis of the propeller supporting shaft 1 and driving shaft 9, and the dimensions of the aperture 19 are such that the cam projection 12 will necessarily engage one of these shoulders 21 or 22, when the slide is in a position to allow the cam projection 12 to pass the other shoulder in.- a rotative movement of the propeller supporting shaft 1.

Therefore assuming the parts to be in the position in which-they are shown in Fig. l, a forward movement of the slide latch 17 to withdraw shoulder 21 from engagement with cam 12, will allow a rotative movement of cam 12, sleeve'7, shaft 1, and the propeller, until these parts have revolved a half turn, whereupon said cam 12 will. strike. shoulder 22 and prevent further movement, said shoulder 22 having been moved-'forwardly simultaneously with the forward movement of shoulder 21 and both of these side thrust of the propeller due to the action of the driving gears, will prevent'rotative movements in the opposite direction.

' shoulders being carried by the slide 17. The

The slide latch is actuated from a handle mounted upon an outer extension 26 of the lever 13 and adapted to serve not only 33 is interposed between a collar 34 on the stem and an interior annular stop flange 35 on the lever section 13. This spring tends to give stability to the latch and Its connections while permitting the described movements. It will be observed that. the forward end of lever section 13 seats against a shoulder at in the member 27. Therefore when this coupling member 27 is 120 tated, it has a thrust bearing at 40 on the handle section '13. A pin or screw 37 carried by member 27, engages a segmental slot 38 in the outer portion of lever section 13 and not onlyprevents longitudinal movements of the outer section 26 thereon, but also limits the rotative movements of the handle.

Referring to'Figs.15 and 6, which show the modified form of tiller, it will be observed that the slide latch 17 is connected with a stem 30, the forward end ofwhich is screw threaded, as illustratedat 41, and has threaded engagement with a nut 42. The handle 25 is connected with an outer lever section 26 corresponding in function with the section 26, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and detach ably connected with a collar 27 having coupling connection with a nut 42. This coupling may be made in any suitable'manneia- In the drawings I have illustrated a screw movement of the nut, but the pitch of the connection, comprising screws 14 extending throughsegmental slots 45 in the inner lever section 13"" and having threaded engagement with the nut 42. In this construction, the slide latch 17 may be moved in either direction by rotating the handle 25", stem 30 being moved to the front and rear by the rotation of the nut 42 thereon. The length of the slides 45 limits the extent of the rotative screw threads is so proportioned to the length of the slots 45, that the movement will be sufficient tov adjust the slide latch 17 to its two ositions, as above described. Owing to the act that the screws 44 extend through the segmental slots 45, it is obvious that relative forward or backward movements of collar 27 on lever section 13 will be prevented. A spring actuated pin 31 is employed to lock the collar 27 to the lever section 26 in the same manner as above described with reference to Figs. 1 and It will he observed I that the spring 46 is socketed in collar 27 and is compressed by a nut 47.

In each of the above forms of construc- M tion, the tiller lever may be used in the ordinary manner for steering purposes. When it is desired to reverse the direction of propulsion, the handle is rotated -to release the cam projection 12 from the engaged shoulder .on the slide latch, whereupon the propeller -instantly and automatically rotates to the reversed position by 'saidthrust of the propeller blades upon the water. The propeller is then held in the reversed position by the opposing shoulder on the latch, which engages the cam 'prOJectionupon completion of a one-half turn pf the propeller and its supporting shaft. To secure a return of the propeller to its original position, itis merely necessary to rotate the handle to its first po-,

sition, thereby again'releasing the cam for a second "one-half turn in the same direction.

- It is desirable to counteract the efiect upon the tiller of the lateral thrust pressure exerted by the propeller driving connections which tend to rotate the propeller about the axis of the vertical driving shaft 9 as above described.- I therefore provide the tiller head 14 with' a depending segmental flange 51. A spring 48 connects one end of the flange with a supporting transom bracket or frame 50 (Fig. 4),'similar to that illustrated in said former Patent, No. 1001260, as

employed for connecting the propelling mechanism witha row boat transom. The spring 48 exerts its tension in opposition to the lateral thrust of the propeller, and substantially counteracts the thrust of the gears latch from one latching position to another on the opposite side of the am's about which the tiller swings. 3

2. The combination with a propeller supporting shaft, of a tiller in' latch connection with said shaft, and a tiller operating handle having a longitudinally movable member operatively connected with the latch.

3. The combination with a propeller supporting shaft, of a catch connected therewith, a slide'latch having'an aperture to receive the catch and also provided with a rotation upon its own axis, to actuate the set of catch engaging shoulders, and a tiller 1:30

I peller, a propeller supporting shaft adapted to rotate during reversing movements of the propeller, and a slide having an aperture to receive the upper end of said shaft, said slide being adapted to engage the shaft in either one of two positions of shaft and slideadjustment.

5. A reversible boat propelling mechanism, including a propeller supporting shaft projecting catch, a tiller lever provided with provided at its upper end with an outwardly a movable latch adapted to engage the catch on opposite sides of the shaft, and an operating handle, on the tiller lever, having an independent latch adjusting connection.

6. A reversible boa-t propelling mechanism including a propeller supporting shaft provided with a tiller engagingmember having an outwardly projecting catch, in combination with a tiller having a slide latch provided with a set of catch engaging members located on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, and so spacedthat one orthe other of said members will engage the catch in any position of slide adjustment.

7 A reversible boat propelling mechanism including a propeller supporting shaft provided with a tiller engaging member having an outwardly projecting catch, in combination with a tiller having a slide latch provided with a set of catch engaging members located on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, and so spaced that one or the other of said members will engage the catch in any position of slide adjustment, and a tiller operating handle provided with means for actuating said slide to selectively position said members for engagement with the catch.

8. A reversible boat propelling mechanism including a propeller supporting shaft "provided with a tiller engaging member having an outwardly projecting catch, in

- combination with a tiller having a slide latch provided with a set of catch engaging members located on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, and so spaced that one or the other of said members will engage the catch in any position of slide adjustment, a tiller operating handle adapted to rotate upon its own axis, and connections between the handle and slide adapted to utilize rotative movements of the handle to actuate-the slide.

9. A reversible boat propelling mechanism including a propeller supporting shaft provided with a tiller engaging member having an outwardly projecting catch, in combination with a tiller having a slide latch provided with ,a set of catch engaging members located on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, and SO spaced that one or the other of said members will engage the catch in any position of slide adjustment, a tiller operating handle adapted to rotate-upon its own axis, a slide actuating rod, and a helical guide connected with the handle and loosely engaging the rod, whereby a rotative movement of the handle will be'transmitted to move the rod longitudinally. f

10. The combination with a boat propelling mechanism, including a propeller and an upright propeller supporting shaft, a propeller actuating shaft extending therethrough, of a support for said propelling mechanism, a tiller connected with the propeller supporting shaft, and'a spring connecting the upright shaft with the support and adapted to resiliently oppose the tendency of the propeller to revolve aboutthe axis of its supporting shaft.

11. The combination of a boat propelling mechanism, a supporting bracket therefor, a tiller lever, and a spring connecting the lever with the supporting bracket in a position to exert its tension in opposition to lateral thrust exerted by the'propelling mechanism.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER J. MEYER.

Witnesses:

LnvnRE'r r C WHEELER, IRMA D. BREMER. 

